


Missing Pieces

by forever_bright



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Parabatai, Sibling Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-07 14:33:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6809116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forever_bright/pseuds/forever_bright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>TV Series Verse based, Alternate Universe.</p><p>A year before Clary Fray entered their lives, Alec was banished from the Shadowhunters for being involved with a Warlock. Now that they need Magnus to help find Clary's mother, the siblings are set for an uncomfortable reunion and a reminder that nothing can change your blood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This is a weird little AU, I must admit. I've been writing it in my head to pass the time at work and I really wanted to get it down.
> 
> Based on the TV Show, I'm only vaguely familiar with the books I'm afraid.

As soon as the name Magnus Bane left her lips, Clary knew that she had stumbled onto more than simply a phantom ghost from her memory. She was passing on the message from Simon, telling Jace about the new lead to find her mother, but as soon as she said the name Jace’s whole demeanour changed. His playful smirk disappeared instantly as his lips tightened.

“You do know him? You know Magnus Bane?” Clary pushed tentatively, unsure what to make of his noticeable reaction to the name.

“We need to talk to Izzy,” Jace replied simply, striding out of the room and leaving Clary to hurry after him.

Isabelle was in her room when Jace walked in without knocking, Clary entering more tentatively behind him. She could tell this Magnus Bane character was important – both to her own past and apparently Jace’s – and she couldn’t imagine what would unbalance the stoic Shadowhunter to this extent. Jace’s face was like stone, his jaw clenched, and Isabelle noticed even before a snarky greeting left her lips.

“What is it?” she asked, squaring her shoulders instinctively, her body bracing for a fight.

“Magnus Bane took Clary’s memories,” replied Jace. Isabelle’s reaction to the words was as obvious as Jace’s, her expression darkening and her eyes becoming shuttered. The two siblings looked at each other in heavy silence for a few moments, before Clary’s confusion became overwhelming.

“Who is this guy? Is he dangerous?” she queries, glancing between them.

Every since she had met Jace and Isabelle, Clary had felt a weight of anger and pain lingering between them. Beyond the dangers of this brand new world, there was viciousness to both of them that felt intensified. There were looks and words that she couldn’t quite place, moments that added to the strangeness of this strange place. She knew there was something personal that haunted her new friends, a wound deeper than anything a demon could inflict.

She didn’t have the time or energy to solve the puzzle of the Lightwood’s while her mother was missing, but Clary knew there more mysteries to this family than fighting demons. Clary was sure there were cracks behind their perfect smiles.

“He’s the High Warlock of Brooklyn,” Isabelle said in answer to Clary’s question, her eyes finally sliding away from Jace’s. “He’s powerful. It would make sense that he took your memories.”

“So where do we find him?” said Clary, now feeling a jolt of excitement in her stomach. This could be the first real step to finding her mother and getting some answers.

Jace and Isabelle shared another look, longer this time, and Jace’s eyes seemed to be burn while Izzy simply sighed. She turned away and picked her whip from her bedside table, red painted fingers coiling around the silver.

“He may not want to see us,” she said to Jace, not answering Clary’s question. Her face was more serious than Clary had ever seen it, even when they had been fighting the demons and vampires there had been a reckless fire blazing inside Izzy than now seemed extinguished.

“He can’t turn us away. Not when it's about the Mortal Cup,” replied Jace tightly, and his hand distractedly moved up to run over his hip. He seemed to realise what he was doing and clenched his fist, his next words coming angry. “He can’t hide from us, not forever.”

“Can someone please explain to me what the deal is here? Why is Magnus Bane hiding from you?” Clary interjected loudly, tired of her own confused questioning, tired of always being out of the loop. She had thought she was beginning to get a tentative grip on this crazy family and their reality, but now she once again found herself listening to Izzy and Jace talk in total confusion.

“Not Magnus Bane,” said Jace. Izzy turned around, grabbing a jacket and not looking at either of them as Jace spoke. “She’s talking about our brother. Alec.”

“You have a brother?” said Clary, hearing her voice once again shrill and perplexed. Did the secrets ever end?

“Yes,” replied Izzy, finally turning around and Clary could see she could barely speak of this other sibling without her voice shaking. “And he lives with Magnus Bane, so I suppose we’re going to have a family reunion.”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely feedback - I'm quite surprised! I worry this isn't going the direction some people may expect, but I hope it's a fun read for you anyway. :)

Clary didn’t get any answers to the hundreds of questions swirling around her head as she watched Jace and Izzy arm themselves with weapons and determined expressions. It didn’t seem to make any sense to her that these two devoted siblings, who she’d seen fighting back to back more than once, had a third member. It felt impossible that he wouldn’t be here at their side, and Clary guessed there must be a lot more to the story of Alec and his absence than she could hope to understand from one brief conversation.

Instead, she focussed on her mother and on Simon. She tried not to get distracted watching the way Jace was fastidiously checking the clasp of his weapons belt with aggressive determination or Isabelle was running her whip between her fingers, unable to keep her hands still.

Clary forced herself to focus on her mother, who had known Magnus, who was a Warlock, who lived with Alec –

It was useless. It was all connected, whatever the secrets her mother was trying to hide from her and the mysteries of the Lightwood family.

“Ready?” said Jace, looking over at where Clary is sitting in the training room, waiting for them to finish choosing their various weapons. Until now, he’d always had a smirk or a smart comment ready for her. Now Jace’s face was strikingly serious, and Clary didn't like the change.

“Ready,” she nodded, getting up. As they left the Institute, Clary noticed again that neither Jace or Izzy seemed concerned with telling anyone where they were going, or why they were taking her and a range of weapons with them. She had the distinct impression that neither of them cared about other people’s opinions and any other member of the Institute who noticed them appeared to deliberately ignore them.

The apartment Magnus lived in was uptown. As they approached it, Jace strode in front of them, passing through the mundanes like an invisible guard dog. His shoulders were hunched and he didn't deviate from his path, even when he nearly knocked a woman to the ground.

Isabelle walked ten paces behind with Clary, sliding her arm through Clary’s and putting on a fake smile that was uncomfortable to look at.

“I’m going to give you a quick lesson, let’s call it Shadowhunting 101,” she said, a forced lightness to her tone, “there are two important things you need to know. Firstly, Shadowhunters are governed by the Clave and the Council, who are made up of our elders and betters.”

The sarcasm in her bright words was stinging, and Clary could guess where this lesson was going.

“The second thing you should know ifsthat the Clave is a bunch of cruel, narrow-minded worms, who hold a grudge and are looking for any opportunity to abuse their power.”

“And they did this to Alec?” Clary summarised and Izzy inclined her head, a pleased twist of her lips making it clear that she was glad Clary was catching onto the situation.

“Yes. They banished Alec from the Shadowhunters. They stripped him of his family, his heritage and his runes.”

They paused to let a car go past, and Isabelle turned to face Clary fully. Clary’s eyes flicked over her perfect lips, her dark waves of hair and the runes that she wore proudly on her bare skin. The marks of a warrior, of a protector, which looked so natural on Isabelle’s body. Clary couldn't imagine what crime deserved the punishment of having your identity forcibly ripped from your skin.

“That’s terrible,” whispered Clary, her brow furrowed.

She hadn’t noticed that Jace had paused and come back for them, crossing behind the car and standing on the road next to them. In another show of the supernatural abilities Clary was slowly coming to expect, he had clearly overheard their conversation even from ten feet away.

“It’s a death sentence,” he spat, and Clary almost flinched at the venom in his voice. “Angel blood there for the taking of any Downworlder or demon with a grudge.”

“If it wasn’t for Magnus…” Izzy agreed, trailing off and biting her lip. She shrugged her shoulders slightly, and took Clary’s arm again, pulling her along.

They didn’t speak any more as they walked, and Clary had more than enough to think about. She could only imagine what Alec must have done to make the council expel from him Shadowhunters (although according to Izzy perhaps he didn’t do much at all to incur their wrath).

It sounded as though he was under the protection of this Warlock Magnus and that made Clary a fraction more confident that Magnus would help them retrieve her memories. If the man knew her mother and helped fallen Shadowhunters in distress, he must be a reasonable person.

It was only another few minutes before they stopped in front of a large apartment building. Jace was in surveillance mode, his eyes darting everywhere expect the dwelling above them. Clary reached out to touch his shoulder and his calculated movements stilled.

“When was the last time you saw him?” she asked.

“Nearly a year,” replied Jace, after a pause. “It’s not like before.”

“For any of us,” breathed Isabelle, who in contrast to Jace was looking up at the apartment building with undeniable longing. Clary imagined how she’d feel if she knew her mother was up there, knew she was so close and she’d be seeing her again.

“Come on,” she urged, taking the final steps that both Jace and Izzy seemed reluctant to cross, “Come on, let’s see Alec.”

They strode into the building, past the doorman who didn't even glance up, and through to the elevator. Isabelle’s heels clacked on the polished marble floor and Clary could see her face in the polished gold décor. The building was old and garishly expensive, and she supposed it probably made sense for a powerful Warlock to live somewhere like this.

She waited for someone to press a button once the elevator door closed, but instead Isabelle said loudly, “Alec? Alec, it’s us. We need to talk to you.”

There was a pointed silence. Clary had the illogical feeling that, even after seeing demons and magic and vampires, talking to an empty elevator was kind of crazy. The silence continued and Isabelle looked up at the ceiling, scowling.

“Alexander,” she snapped, “Don’t be a jerk.”

Clary saw Jace smile, for a fleeting second, at Isabelle’s unimpressed tone and memories he undoubtedly had of siblings arguments and temper tantrums. Then the almost-smile was gone and Jace’s face settled in a grimace as there was finally a reply.

“Oh, alright then,” came a disembodied voice, reverberating around them, “No need to be a brat, baby sister.”

The elevator began to move and Izzy smiled – a real, bright smile – as the lighting around them flickered seamlessly to a warm purple and the walls sifted in colour to indigo. They kept going up and up, much longer than Clary thought seemed normal, but then there was a ding and the doors slid open.

“Alec,” squealed Isabelle, and she had flung herself forward even before Clary had a real opportunity to see Alec Lightwood waiting for them in the expansive foyer that the elevator opened onto. She lingered back, even as Jace stepped out, watching with undeniable fascination as Isabelle wrapped herself around her big brother.

He was taller than her, taller than Jace, and the resemblance to Izzy was striking. The perfect skin and thick black hair, his sharp jaw. Clary hadn't had time to picture Alec in her head and she didn't know why him being so handsome surprised her.

Alec’s blue eyes were watching Jace, even as he hugged Izzy back, and Clary couldn’t get a read on his expression. His face was like looking at a blank slate and she found it unnerving that he wasn’t smiling, wasn’t proclaiming his joy at seeing them.

She hadn’t even noticed the fading bruises around Alec’s eye until Jace pointed them out.

“I thought the Warlock was meant to be protecting you,” said Jace, gesturing to the nearly faded marks.

“I don’t need protecting,” replied Alec, his face still carefully controlled even as bitterness crept into his voice, “I can handle a couple of Downworlders even without my runes.”

“I seriously doubt that,” shot back Jace, and Clary could see so clearly that the bruises scared him, that he had thought Alec was safe with Magnus, but neither of the boys seemed able to recognise this, and Jace only made it worse, “You’re practically a mundane.”

Alec’s neutral expression finally broke and his eyes flashed angrily. After only a moment, though, his whole demeanour slipped back into carefully schooled apathy and he disentangled himself from Isabelle.

“Well, I need a drink,” Alec said and he turned and walked off down the hallway, his bare feet sinking into the plush carpet as he left the foyer. He was dressed in black like Izzy and Jace, but in contrast to their tight leather, Alec’s jeans and long sleeve sweater were comfortably domestic.

Alec had barely glanced at Clary during the entire encounter, and now that he was gone she took the opportunity to get her bearings. The foyer was polished white marble with an impressive array of ornaments and antiques lining the walls. Clary felt like it was the kind of décor an eccentric uncle would have, and she wondered again who exactly Magnus Bane was. She also speculated if his motivations for protecting astonishingly handsome ex-Shadowhunters were entirely honourable.

“Come on,” said Jace, lingering in the doorway waiting for her to follow. Clary smiled reassuringly at him as she walked over and was pleased when his expression warmed in return. Despite their sharp words, she was sure Jace was pleased to see Alec.

When they reached the open living area – again filled with books and random objects, colourful paintings and what Clary had a feeling was antique drug paraphernalia – Alec was pouring himself a glass of something from the liquor cabinet. He didn’t offer them a seat, even as he walked over and reclined on one of the black leather couches.

There was a forced air to the way Alec was trying to appear casual, and Clary had rarely been in situations where the air felt as tense and every word was so anticipated.

“How are you?” asked Isabelle, unable to stop herself, looking near desperate to absorb every detail of Alec while she could.

“Fine,” replied Alec shortly, taking a substantial mouthful of his drink and looking over at Clary. “Was there are a reason you came to call, or did you just want to see how I pass my mundane afternoons?”

Alec’s gaze was now fixed on Clary and she wished it were a different situation, one where this sibling drama could be her priority and she could scold at all of them about how much they clearly missed each other, but Alec wasn’t who she was here to see.

“My name is Clary Fray and my mother has been kidnapped by the Circle. They’re looking for the Mortal Cup and my memories about it, about everything, have been taken. By Magnus Bane. And I need to see him and get them back.”

Alec looked startled, his eyes widening as he sat up instinctively at Clary’s words. It was as though for a second he forgot whatever act he’d been putting on, and he looked at Jace in concern.

“The Mortal Cup? Did her mother really have it?” he questioned.

“Apparently,” replied Jace. “Is Magnus here?”

Alec threw back the rest of the drink – and out of the corner of her eye Clary caught Isabelle’s disdainful expression – and stood up, running a hand through his hair. His eyes darted between his two siblings.

“No. Valentine has been attacking Warlocks, but Magnus wasn’t sure why. He’s gone out to gather them, take them to safety.”

“Do you know where he is exactly?” asked Isabelle, her eyes never leaving Alec for a moment.

“No. He’s portalling around the city. Is he safe?” Alec asked.

Before anyone could reply, there was a thumping clang from back down the hall. It sounded like someone smacking on the door of the elevator and they all froze.

“Where you followed?” asked Alec urgently, stepping forward, his empty hands automatically moving to reach for a weapon.

An explosion erupting from the foyer and the sound of voices answered the question.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a smell of over-heated metal wafting down the hall, and a tendril of smoke curled along the skirting boards as Jace and Izzy turned towards the noise. Jace drew his seraph blade and disappeared down the passage, running straight toward the danger, while Isabelle waited long enough to gesture to Alec and Clary.

“Stay here,” she warned, her whip already uncurling from her wrist as she moved to follow Jace. She was gone a moment later, running towards the sound of Jace’s shout and the clash of blades.

Alec was already following them when Clary reached out to grab his arm, her heart thumping wildly in her chest as the sounds of violence reached them.

“Wait,” she said as Alec blinked at her incomprehensibly, already trying to pull away and go after his siblings, “You’re not a Shadowhunter anymore, right? You don’t have runes, we should… we should stay here…”

The words were slipping out of Clary’s mouth without thought, because she was scared for Jace and Izzy, and for Alec, and it felt like the right thing to do to try and keep him safe.

“You cower behind the couch then,” replied Alec harshly, tugging free and moving quickly down the hall. Clary followed him, not wanting to be alone and feeling that if Alec could help then surely she could too. She’d managed to help Jace kill the demon at the club, after all.

When she reached the foyer there was already a layer of destruction covering the room. The elevator doors were twisted, forced open and still smoking, while a bookshelf had been toppled over and Isabelle was currently standing on it as she flicked her whip around the neck of the Circle member trying to reach her. Jace was fighting two other assailants, and he let out a cry as one of their blades sliced into his shoulder.

Clary stood frozen has Jace dropped to one knee, terrified that the next blow would be worse, but then Alec was at his side and tackled one of the Circle assassins. They wrestled on the ground while Jace pulled himself up with a grunt of pain, lifting his blade to parry an incoming blow. Across the room, the man attacking Izzy crashed to the ground with a lifeless thud and it only took a few moments for Jace to dispatch his own opponent with a ruthless slash across the neck.

“Alec,” panted Jace, and he tossed his blade in Alec’s direction. It was uncanny, the way Alec’s hand reached out and caught it, though his eyes never looked away from the attacker beneath him. The seraph blade instantly lit up in his hand and Alec plunged it into the Circle assassin’s chest.

A quiet settled on the room as Jace slumped against the wall and Isabelle stepped over the corpse to make her way to Clary.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes,” nodded Clary, feeling out of breath herself despite only standing in the doorway and watching the fight unfold.

“There’s a Circle rune on his neck,” commented Alec, standing up and nudging the dead man’s neck to the side with his foot to expose the mark. “They must have been looking for her.”

“Or Magnus,” pointed out Isabelle, quickly launching into her next point, “Are you crazy? Deciding to find the Circle with no weapons, no runes?”

“I’m fine,” replied Alec sharply, frowning a her, “I’m better than- Jace!”

In that moment, Jace had slid down the wallpaper a few inches, leaving behind a vivid smear of blood. Alec and Clary both moved to support him, and Alec reached up to look at the wound as Jace spoke through gritted teeth.

“She’s right. I had them covered, you didn’t need to come barging in and throw me off.”

Clary thought it was a bit ungrateful of Jace to throw Alec’s help back in his face, especially considering he’d been stabbed before Alec even arrived, but she was surprised when Alec only smiled in response, fingers gently touching the edges of the injury. It was the first time Clary had seen him smile.

“There’s nothing like a Jace Wayland thank you,” Alec said, and then he held out his hand. “Give me your stele.”

Jace didn't move, and Clary glanced from Alec’s assured expression to Jace’s tense one. Blood was seeping through Jace’s shirt, the wet patch obvious even against the black fabric, and Clary didn’t think this was the time for Alec and Jace to work out their issues.

“Give it to him, Jace,” urged Izzy. Her hair had been tangled during the fight and she looked unkempt, nearly wild. “Nobody has to know.”

Slowly, Jace moved his uninjured arm and retrieved his stele. He handed it to Alec, who closed his fingers around it, but Jace didn’t release it.

“It doesn't work anymore,” he said flatly, his voice rough as he stared at Alec. There was pain in his words, echoing an injury deeper than the seeping wound on his shoulder. “They broke it. We both felt it… it’s gone.”

“For old times sake,” murmured Alec in reply. Jace paused, but then nodded slightly and let Alec take the stele, turning his head to give more access to his skin.

Clary was watching in fascination as Alec began to draw the healing rune, but Isabelle grabbed her hand and pulled her away. Clary stepped apart from Jace, looking at Isabelle questioningly as she allowed herself to be led down the hall.

“It's a thing,” explained Isabelle, unhelpfully, “between them. We should leave them to it.”

“So Alec can still do, you know –”

Clary stumbled over the words, not sure how to explain her question. She’d thought that maybe Alec couldn’t do all the Shadowhunter things anymore, but the blade had lit up in his hand and now he was writing runes into Jace’s skin. It seemed to Clary that Alec was still more of a Shadowhunter than she was.

“You can’t change blood, even if the Clave thinks they can,” replied Isabelle. They re-entered the large living room, Izzy walked over to the couch while Clary took a deep breath, willing her heart to slow down. The attack had caught her by surprise, the same as all the previous ones. She needed to begin expecting murderous assassins around every corner.

“He’s the calm one, you know?”

Clary looked over at Isabelle, who seemed to be speaking to no one, her eyes distant as she looked out the window of the apartment over the city. Clary took a seat next to her as Izzy kept talking.

“Jace and I are the hot heads, won’t listen to anyone, but Alec… sometimes it felt like he did the thinking for all of us. The voice of reason.”

“What happened?” asked Clary, feeling like she could finally ask the question that was at the heart of this whole strange affair, “Why did Alec get banished?”

“It – ” Isabelle began, but she stopped when Alec and Jace walked through the door. The wound on Jace’s shoulder had closed and he quickly strode over to check on Clary.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes scanning her face.

“I’m not the one who got a chunk taken out of me,” replied Clary. “But how did they find us here? You said Magnus is powerful, I thought-”

“He is,” cut in Alec, “but the Circle is powerful to. And they would know I’m with him, they’d have guessed you’d come to us.”

Alec was leaning against the doorframe for support, his expression tight as he spoke. His hands were dirty with Jace’s blood and a fresh bruise was swelling on his eye. Clary realised that much like her, Alec had thought he’d be safe here and his home now had the addition of three dead bodies.

“We need to find Magnus,” said Isabelle, and Clary nodded. The Circle was closing in on them and she still had no hope of bargaining with them, no idea where the Mortal Cup was.

Across the room, Alec visibly sighed. He ran a hand through his messy hair and watched his siblings with a flat gaze.

“Please,” added Clary, standing up and staring back at him imploringly, “Please, help me save my mother.”

“You can save the fluttering eyelashes,” he said, but there was no bite to his tone. He stretched out his shoulders and gave his head a resigned shake. “Fine. I’ll take you to Magnus. But you better not get him killed over some Shadowhunter bullshit.”

“I thought you didn’t know where he was?” questioned Isabelle.

“I don’t,” said Alec, and his lips twisted in a small smirk that was in contrast to his previously dour expression, “but there’s a Downworlder rave tonight and I don’t think even the end of the world will stop Magnus making an appearance.”

Isabelle laughed, but Jace’s quick scowl mirrored Clary’s own thoughts. It sounded as though this Magnus character was a puzzle and she didn’t like the idea of relying on someone like that for help. The thorny web of issues that surrounded Alec made him an unknown factor and the answers to Clary’s questions felt further away than ever.

“I need to get ready,” said Alec when the silence hung in the air for too long. She watched as Alec walked over and picked up the bottle he had poured himself a drink from earlier, grasping the neck of it and turning to walk out of the room. “Make yourself at home,” he called sarcastically as he disappeared out of sight.

“I thought this place was meant to be warded and have all the Warlock’s magic protecting it,” Jace said to Isabelle, standing up from Clary’s side and glaring after Alec. “That was the deal.”

“I don't think even Magnus can guess all the twisted things Valentine can come up with,” replied Izzy. She slid further into the couch, closing her eyes, as though seeing Alec and fighting the Circle had taken it’s toll on her. Clary reached out to squeeze her hand, and Isabelle’s eyes didn’t open but her lips turned up slightly. “Relax, Jace,” she said, “rest your shoulder before we have to leave.”

The words seemed to slip past Jace without registering. He was still staring at the doorway Alec had left through.

“I’m going to talk to him,” he bit out abruptly, striding out without a backwards glance.

Isabelle sighed and moved some of her hair off her face, her body still curled into the soft leather of the couch. Clary knew that none of them had had a real break since this had all started, and she was sure that if the adrenaline ever stopped pumping through her body she’d be exhausted as well. All she felt at the moment was dirty and sore, and with that at the front on her mind she stood up.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” she said to Isabelle and she walked in the same direction has the boys.

Clary had no intention of eavesdropping on their conversation, but it was hard to miss when she turned a corner and was greeted with Jace’s raised voice.

“-do all day? Sit around and drink Magnus’s liquor, wait for him to come and fetch you for the next party0?”

“And what’s the alternative?” replied Alec heatedly, any veneer of control gone. “Live like a mundane? I’m not a Shadowhunter but I’m still here. I’m still Nephilim, but I can't fight… I can't come home.”

Clary held her breath, worried that even the smallest creak of a floorboard would alert them to her presence outside the door and she desperately wanted to hear more.

“This was your idea. You le-” Jace stopped abruptly. The silence was heavy in the hallway.

“Say it.”

“You left,” said Jace. He sounded raw. “You left us.”

“You know that’s not what happened,” said Alec in reply. It seemed hard for him to get the words out. “Please don’t twist it.”

Clary didn’t even have time to register Jace’s heavy footfalls before the door was open and Jace was escaping through it. He saw her standing there and paused for a second, their eyes locked and the grief she saw in his face made her stomach twist. He dropped his gaze, moving past her quickly.

“We’re leaving in twenty,” he said simply. Clary didn't move as he walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, if you're reading! Two things - I took some artistic liberties with the Downworlder rave in the chapter, because I thought it could be a bit more colourful than what we saw in the show.
> 
> And secondly, someone may have noticed that I keep messing with the chapter count. It's just because I want to keep this short enough that I actually finish it, but then I think of new bits to add! I think it'll be a couple more chapters, at least.
> 
> So yeah :) Thanks so much for reading and I hope you have fun.

It took them longer than twenty minutes to leave Alec and Magnus’s apartment, because Isabelle refused to attend one of the year’s biggest parties without additional makeup and accessories. It turned out there was a ride range of products in the bathroom, and Clary found herself with a slightly clearer picture of Magnus in her head, after looking through the twelve different shades of eye shadow and confidently assuming they didn’t belong to Alec.

Isabelle was delighted by the selection and quickly began applying a dark, smoky look to her eyes. Clary had never had a sister and she imagined this is what it would be like, sharing mascara and wondering out loud if she could pull off toffee coloured lipstick.

It felt good to smile, good to do something resembling normality. The last few days had been an endless string of surreal and horrifying moments, and Clary found a strange peace in flicking on eyeliner and watching Isabelle assess her curves in the full-length mirror. It made her believe for the first time that it might be possible to be both a person and a Shadowhunter at the same time.

“How do I look?” asked Izzy as she clicked the lid back onto her cherry red lipstick, her pleased grin showing that she knew the only answer to that question was _sensational_.

“Amazing,” said Clary, and she stood next to Isabelle, tugging on her own outfit. It was her own jeans and boots, but with a black corset that Isabelle had convinced Alec to find. Clary could only imagine why Magnus (again, she was quite sure it wasn’t Alec’s) owned a corset. It felt too tight and her breasts were more exposed than they possibly ever had been before. Clary didn’t mind it as much as she felt like she should, and she shifted slightly again, double-checking she could still breathe in the contoured outfit.

“I love a Downworlder party,” grinned Isabelle, nearly bouncing in her heels. “They’re almost never part of official missions, but now Jace and Alec have to come along.”

It was hard to picture Jace and Alec blending in at some decadent supernatural rave, and Clary caught herself smiling at the mental image of Jace wearing glowbands.

“I hope Magnus shows up,” Clary said as they both left the bathroom to locate the boys. “It sounds like he’s unpredictable and he’s my only hope of getting my memories back.”

“Don't worry, even if he didn’t plan on going to the party, he will find Alec. That’s the one thing you can be sure of.”

Jace and Alec were sitting in the living room when they entered, resolutely not speaking. Jace was checking over his weapon, eyes fixated on the blade’s handle, while Alec seemed to be deep in thought staring at the coffee table. Isabelle clapped her hands together when she came in, grabbing their attention.

“Ready to party?” she asked cheerfully, her perfectly painted lips widening into a predatory smile. A step behind her, Clary tried not to act as uncomfortable as she felt in her outfit, however Jace’s sharp gaze locked onto her making it hard not to fidget. He couldn’t look away for a few seconds, but then he stood and reached for this leather jacket that was resting over the edge of the couch.

“Let’s find your boyfriend and get this over with,” he said, speaking to Alec but still not looking at him.

For once, Clary managed the hold the question that was on the tip of her tongue. Magnus was Alec’s boyfriend?

She’d guessed as much, obviously, but the word seemed so pedestrian for whatever it was between Alec and Magnus – a relationship that included magic and banishment and a family torn apart. Jace was out the door and they all went to follow, however as Alec was about to pass Izzy he paused.

“Hey,” he said, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder. Isabelle turned to look at him questioningly, and Clary felt as though she was intruding on an intimate moment when Alec’s leant down to kiss Izzy’s hair quickly. “You look beautiful,” Alec said genuinely, and then he kept moving after Jace. Clary thought Isabelle’s eyes looked glassy as she followed a moment later.

There was a line at the club entrance when they arrived, and Clary wondered how long they’d have to loiter in the cooling night air before they were welcomed into the likely over-heated party. To her surprise, and Jace and Isabelle’s too judging by their expressions, Alec ignored the line and made his way straight up to the door. The pounding, indecipherable thump of music got even louder as they approached.

A pale man looked up when Alec reached the entrance, and smiled to reveal a set of vampire fangs. Clary’s breath caught in her throat, but before anyone could react the vampire was already speaking.

“Alec,” he said jovially, and Clary was sure that there was a lingering hunger in his gaze as he stepped aside to let Alec past. “Good to see you, my friend. I assume Magnus will be in full splendour tonight?”

“Undoubtedly,” was all Alec said in reply, and he strode past the vampire and into the dark club. The three of them followed after him, all under the craving eyes of the undead security. Jace glared at the vampire as he passed, as though daring him to make a move.

Once they were inside, Clary found this rave to be similar to a lot of dance parties she’d snuck out to over her teenage years. There was music so loud that it seemed to be vibrating the concrete floor, and lights and people filled every corner of the space. The only difference was that there were puffs of magic mist hovering over the dance floor, and Clary could see eyes of every colour flashing under the pulsing lights.

“I thought the different Downworlders didn’t like each other?” she said to Isabelle loudly over the music. There was a very multi-cultural vibe to the mass of bodies around them.

“Everyone likes to party,” replied Izzy lightly, and she smiled at two burley men who were eyeing her from the bar. Clary knew it would be easy to get distracted here, to forget that this wasn’t a real party and to allow herself get swept up, but the thought of what Simon would say about this place as a girl with a wolf’s tail walked past them reminded Clary sharply why they were here.

“How will we find Magnus?” Clary asked, stepping up next to Alec. He was watching the proceedings with his trademark blank expression and Clary wondered if he was capable of reacting to anything that wasn’t his siblings.

“Why mi amor, I was beginning to think I would have to spend the evening pining for you,” came a voice behind them, and Clary spun around to find herself faced with one of the most colourful people she’d ever seen. Between the glitter in his hair and almost garish tone of his clothing, Clary almost missed the entirely different attitude betrayed by his eyes.

Magnus’s stare was sombre as he looked up at Alec, and Clary looked to see Alec’s face relaxing into an almost playful expression.

“I would hate to spoil your evening,” he replied jokingly, and Clary wondered where Alec had conjured this other personality from – a boy with warm eyes who smiled and made jokes.

“You, my dear, are incapable of spoiling anything,” Magnus assured him, and once he’d checked Alec over thoroughly with his eyes, he finally turned to the others, “your family, on the other hand…”

Jace was looking grim; his jaw clenched as his whole posture showed that being within ten feet of Magnus was too close for his liking. Isabelle, in contrast, looked almost hesitant. Clary had opened her mouth to begin explaining when Jace cut over her.

“You’re doing a lousy job of keeping out of trouble. That was the deal, that’s what you said, but we just killed three members of the Circle inside your house and now you’re bringing him to a den of Downworlders who want to eat him alive.”

It was clear that Jace’s frustration had been building up for hours, and his snaps at Alec earlier had done little to ease the furiosity of it. Isabelle looked mortified, glaring at Jace, and Alec appeared tempted to throttle Jace with his bare hands, but Magnus narrowed his eyes and waved his hand in a falsely casual flourish.

“Circle members, you say? I must have forgot that I invited them over for dinner, after three hundred years my memory isn’t what it was. And as for this little get together, while I’ll admit Alexander is by far the most delicious dish in the place, I’ll contest it’s still better than your brilliant plan to keep him locked up in that Institute of yours for the next thirty years. Our deal, as you described it, was that I’d keep him happy and I’d keep him free. He appears to be both those things to me.”

Magnus finished his spiel with less humour than he began it, and Jace’s face was flushed with annoyance and Clary thought a touch of embarrassment at being spoken to in such a patronising way. Isabelle smiled at Magnus and attempted to regain a more cordial foundation for the meeting.

“Alec said you’re helping hide Warlocks from Valentine,” she said, and it was bizarre to be having such a serious conversation when they were all nearly shouting over the pulsing electronic music beats. “ Are they safe?”

“As safe as they can be from a megalomaniac Shadowhunter with delusions of grandeur,” replied Magnus. Clary thought he seemed pleased that Isabelle had asked about the Warlock’s situation and she deduced that Magnus’s distrust of Shadowhunter’s had deeper roots than merely the situation with Alec.

“This is no place for a family reunion,” continued Magnus, and gestured towards a portal that suddenly began to materialise behind them. “Let us go somewhere quieter and discuss exactly why you’ve bought Clary Fairchild to find me.”

The portal solidified and Isabelle turned to walk towards it, pulling a recalcitrant Jace after her. Clary was staring at Magnus with wide eyes, surprised and painfully hopeful that he knew who she was. Her gaze was torn away when she heard Alec speak.

“You want some advice, Clary?” he said to her, and it was the first time Alec had truly acknowledged her, but rather than sounding helpful his voice was condescending. “Don’t trust anybody with what you know about the Cup. They’ll all betray you in the end and then they’ll twist it so you’ll even betray yourself.”

With those parting words, he followed his siblings to the portal and grabbed Isabelle’s hand. Clearly knowing where they were going, Alec moved forward and the three of them disappeared into the purple vapour. Jace looked back at Clary for a moment before they disappeared.

“Don't mind Alexander,” said Magnus swiftly, making a face and putting a hand on Clary’s back to guide her toward the portal. “He’s really a sweetheart, but you know how it is, tragic past and shadowy family intrigue can make you a little prickly. He just needs to… warm up to you.”

“He seems very warmed up to you,” replied Clary. She wasn’t totally sure why she said it, other than the fact that Alec had seemed to look at Magnus as though he was the only sunbeam in a lifetime of clouds and Clary’s romantic inclinations were ignited.

“Oh yes,” purred Magnus with twitch of his eyebrows, as he took a firm grip of her hand. “I keep him very warm,” and then he stepped them into the portal.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say that literally every comment and kudos makes me smile a heap, thank you so much <33

The house that the five of them materialised into had a simpler atmosphere than the apartment that they had sought out Alec in earlier that evening. Magnus lightly referred to the location as their urban getaway, and it certainly felt like a pleasant family house in the suburbs. Looking around Clary observed a number of styling choices that felt more like Alec’s taste, with most of what she could see coloured in pale blue and greys. There were a number of pieces of art hanging along the wall of the hallway, and Clary wished she had more time to examine the ethereal abstract paintings.

“Are we safe here?” queried Jace immediately, eyes already flicking between the multiple doors around them and the unknown dark rooms beyond.

“Considering that the wards on your precious Institute were cast by Warlock’s, your lack of faith in my methods is concerningly naive,” replied Magnus tartly, and with a flick of his fingers all the lights in the house blazed into life. “Now, let’s begin the explanations. Drink, anyone?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” said Alec, walking into the dining room and opening the door of the glass liquor cabinet. “Izzy?”

“Sure,” replied Isabelle, slightly distracted as she looked around them at the comfortable house. There was a strange expression on her face, but Clary wasn’t sure what it meant.

Jace insisted on checking the perimeter, causing Magnus to roll his eyes, but soon they were all seated around a long mahogany table in the dining room. Magnus was at the head of the table, with Alec and Izzy on one side and Clary and Jace on the other. The silence of the empty house was heavy around them, making the meeting feel tense and illicit.

“Now, Clary,” began Magnus, his amber eyes intense on Clary, “please explain what all this commotion is about.”

Clary described everything that had happened, from her deceptively normal upbringing to her mother’s kidnapping, to finding Jace and their trip to the Silent Brothers. Finally she explained how Camille had let slip Magnus’s name to Simon – and nobody at the table missed Alec’s audible scoff when Camille’s name was mentioned – finishing off with a genuine plea.

“Please,” she said, her hands on the table and her palms sweaty against the polished wood, “I need my memories back. I have no hope of finding my mother, no hope of finding the Cup without them. I know you took them-“

“At your mother’s request,” pointed out Magnus calmly.

“Yes, but now I need them back. I’m sure she didn’t plan on getting kidnapped by Valentine!” finished Clary.

There were a few moments of silence while Magnus considered Clary’s words, a single finger stroking over his lips. His playful veneer had slipped for a minute and he looked his full age, his expression grave. Then he leaned back and the jester returned, a sharp smile appearing on his lips.

“Unfortunately, Ms. Fairchild, I am not inclined to help you in this matter.”

“What?” snapped Jace, halfway out of his seat before Clary even registered the words, “You _will_ help her, Warlock.”

“Watch it,” warned Alec, standing a moment after Jace, his eyes flashing threateningly. The two of them glared at each other over the divide of the table. Magnus looked faintly startled and Isabelle reached up the grab Alec’s forearm, pulling him back down into his seat. Clary was frozen in her own chair, an icy surge of panic blooming in her stomach.

“The fact of the matter is, my dear, that I believe that the Mortal Cup is better lost than found,” Magnus continued, talking directly to Clary. “Downworlders are the ones that will suffer when Valentine takes the cup from you.”

“We would never let that happen,” said Isabelle firmly, as Clary found herself lost for words in the face of Magnus’s refusal.

“I believe you said the same thing to me when they threatened to remove Alexander’s runes,” Magnus replied sharply.

“What about my mother?” asked Clary, and she hated how small her voice sounded. She had run into so many roadblocks during this mad quest, but this felt like in could be an impossible barrier. She had no idea what to do if Magnus didn't help, if she were unable to remember the things her mother had hidden from her.

“I liked your mother,” said Magnus. It sounded like an obituary. “I am sorry that she has not found the peaceful life she longed for.”

There was a buzzing noise in Clary’s ears, the cold adrenaline now escaping her stomach and washing over her entire body. She would never see her mother again, Magnus had effectively sealed Jocelyn’s fate with those words. Shock fluttered through Clary and she barely heard the others arguing around her.

“You demonic bastard, you have no right to her memories, they’re not yours, you can’t-“

“Did you really imagine I would help you? After what you did to Alexander?”

“That wasn’t Clary’s fault… Magnus, please, that was the Clave. Don’t punish Clary for what happened to Alec.”

“It’s not as simple as that, Isabelle. Shadowhunters will never change.

“Are you just going to sit there, Alec? You’re going to run away from the battle, hide here with your boyfriend and let Valentine take over the Shadow World?”

“Magnus does more to help the Downworlders than we ever did. And he’ll save more of them from Valentine than the Clave will. You’re stupid if you think you’re really helping anyone.”

“This isn't about you, this isn’t about the Clave!”

“It’s all about the Clave. Can’t you see it? They’re liars, they blamed me for what happened-“

“What did happen?” whispered Clary, her voice hoarse and quiet. The other four all stopped talking to look at her. She repeated herself, her words stronger. “What happened when Alec was banished?”

There was a long silence. Clary looked up, her eyes moving between the four people sitting around her. She was tired of not understanding the whole story, and Alec was right when he said the decisions being made now were partially directed by the events of the past. Whatever had happened with Alec and Magnus, and the Clave, it was obstructing Clary’s chances of finding her mother. She had a right to know and it seemed that at least Isabelle agreed, because she began talking.

“It should have been nothing,” she said, glancing at Alec and looking distressed, “it was ridiculous and it got completely out of control. The Clave knew that we were… not the most traditional of families, and they were already holding a grudge against our parents because of things that happened during the uprising.”

“The Clave have the most wonderful selective memories,” added Magnus, with a conspiratorial glance at Clary. “Truly impressive at remembering only the things they want to.”

“There were things happening at the Institute that they didn’t agree with. I was seeing… I was in love with a Downworlder - a Seelie,” continued Isabelle, pushing forward with determination. “And Jace had nearly started a war with the werewolves because one of them stole his jacket.”

“But mainly it was the blood,” picked up Jace, obviously keen not to dwell on his own contribution to the situation. “A Shadowhunter found that some vampires were dealing in Shadowhunter blood. They were selling it at Pandemonium.”

“My club,” explained Magnus, “Naturally the Shadowhunters came knocking on my door with some urgency to try to uncover the source of this prized product. Regrettably, while one of then was questioning me, another began to search the apartment and discovered Alexander a little… tied up in my bed.”

Even in such a serious situation, Magnus couldn’t help but sound a little smug. Alec was staring down at the table silently and Clary waited for the rest of the explanation, but nobody spoke.

“That’s it? Alec was with you?” she pushed after a moment. “That’s all?”

“You don’t think that’s enough?” snapped Alec, now dragging his eyes up to meet hers. There was a flush of humiliation in his cheeks. “Random Shadowhunter blood turns up in Magnus’s club in the hands of vampires, and they find me… they find out I’m involved with him?”

“They can’t seriously think you were letting him take your blood to sell,” said Clary, making a face at the distasteful notion. “Why on earth would you do that?”

“They claimed that I didn't realise what he was doing,” said Alec. He looked back at the table, his shoulders hunched tensely. Magnus reached out so one of his hands was resting over Alec’s forearm on the table.

“The Clave said that either Alec knew what Magnus was doing, and it was high treason, or he was seduced by Magnus’s charms and he wasn’t fit to be a Shadowhunter,” finished Isabelle, and she shook her head at the stupidity of it even after so much time had passed. “They were punishing all of us, but Alec just happened to be the easiest target for their hypocrisy.”

“So… they banished you and took away your runes,” finished Clary. She bit her lip, her mind working through this story and attempting to put all the pieces together. “What about you, Magnus? Did they punish you?”

“Selective memories,” Magnus replied, with a brittle smile. “I’m far too useful.”

“Okay. Okay, so the Clave wanted to punish your family and they used Alec to do it,” summarised Clary and she looked at Jace, who was mirroring Alec in staring down at the table and seemingly trying to distance himself from the conversation. Clary watched him for a few seconds – there was something else, something more between Jace and Alec that was fuelling the seemingly endless friction between them, but it wasn’t important now – before turning to look at Magnus.

The cold inside her, the shock, had began to boil. Clary’s heart sped up and she spoke with every ounce of determination she could muster.

“I understand that the Clave has hurt you, has hurt Alec, and you don’t want anything to do with them. I understand that you think you can hide from this fight, just like you’ve hidden Alec away from the Shadowhunters and what they did. But you can’t run from this, you can’t keep him or yourself safe forever… it’s what my mother tried to do with me, and look what’s happened. We all need to fight – I am going to fight Valentine and I need your help. I am not the Clave and I’ll fight them as well if I need to, I’ll do whatever it takes to get my mother back.”

Clary fell silent and kept staring at Magnus, praying and hoping and begging internally that he would agree. She was so intent on watching his pensive expression that she didn’t even notice Alec straightening in his seat.

“Magnus,” he said, and Clary’s eyes moved to Alec’s face. The steely spark she saw in his eyes surprised her. “We’re going to help her.”

Barely daring to hope, Clary looked back to Magnus and saw him watching Alec also, before shaking his head in a resigned fashion.

“Very well,” he said and he leaned in, the matter apparently settled, “however, we do have small problem in that I no longer possess your memories.”

“What?” said Clary faintly, unbelieving. Jace shifted agitatedly next to her.

“Yes, not ideal, I know,” frowned Magnus, fingers moving absently as he spoke, “I fed them to a memory demon for safe keeping. I can summon the demon, however then we have our second problem…”

“What’s the second problem?” asked Isabelle. Clary felt like the problems were never ending.

“We need five of us to bind the demon and retrieve the memories,” replied Magnus, and he was oddly deliberately looking at the ceiling, away from their faces. Clary blinked at him and Jace voiced her thoughts.

“There are five of us.”

“Technically, maybe,” said Magnus, noticeably uncomfortable as he continued to explain, “however, only three of us have the magical protection necessary to be in the presence of a greater demon. You can draw the protection rune onto Clary, but…”

“But not onto me,” finished Alec. His hand twitched on the table, as though he was fighting the urge to move, to flee from the room and the shameful situation. Clary felt intense sympathy for Alec, although she tried her best to hide it, worried he’d view it as pity.

“Why not?” said Jace, staring intently at Alec.

“Why what?” replied Alec in confusion.

“Why can’t I draw the rune onto you?”

“Because it’s illegal. You could be banished as well-”

“We don't care,” interjected Isabelle, and Alec’s head snapped around to stare at her with disbelieving eyes. Clary was surprised too, and even Magnus had a guarded expression on his face as the conversation unfolded.

“We should never have cared, we should never have let you tell us this was the best way,” continued Isabelle, and her eyes were shining as she looked at her big brother. “Screw the Clave, Alec. Like Clary said, it’s time to fight.”

Alec seemed unable to speak, his lips slightly parted as he stared between his siblings, and he didn't move when Jace stood up and pulled out his stele.

“Take off your shirt,” Jace said evenly.

“I thought that was my line,” said Magnus, although his voice was lacking conviction and he also seemed unbalanced by Jace and Izzy’s declaration. He assessed Alec for a few moments, but then he tore his gaze away and settled on Clary.

“We have some preparations to make,” Magnus said and he stood up, gesturing towards the hall, “Come with me and we will get started.”

Standing up, Clary took one last glance at the Lightwoods. Isabelle and Jace both had resolute expressions on their faces, and Jace still had his stele tightly gripped in his hand. Alec appeared unable to fully comprehend what was happening. His hands were balled into fists and he turned his uncertain eyes to Izzy, just as Magnus gestured for Clary to follow him.

“You’re just going to leave them?” asked Clary quietly as they walked out into the hallway.

“Some things are best left between family,” replied Magnus, and he smiled at her. “Now, I understand you’re quite the artist. Let’s see what you can do.”


End file.
